resolution

If you are like me, you have given up on making a New Year’s resolution because you never kept it beyond a few weeks. If you start it at all. Why is this true for many of us?

Most of the New Year’s resolutions I’ve made and heard go something like this:

I am going to lose 40 lbs.

Reducing my sugar intake

Starting January 1, I will quit smoking

I’m exercising at least three times a week

The resolutions usually focus on an aspect of ourselves we feel we need to change (fix). Usually something negative and in the past.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a resolution is “the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc. : the act of resolving something; an answer or solution to something.”

My resolutions never included a plan or a solution. They felt more like a test that I either passed or failed. I guess that is why they never happened. Isn’t there a better word than resolution that could help us focus on the future and be positive?

How about intention? After all intentions are the things you “plan to do or achieve : an aim or purpose,” as per the definition by Merriam-Webster. I think this fits much better and includes a purpose!

Intentions also allow for flexibility, are ongoing, can change as needed and focus on positive results. For example, I could intend to view exercise as a fun activity instead of a chore, look for something positive about each day and reduce my sugar intake by paying more attention to what I eat. Intentions are more about the journey instead of the destination.

However, you need to believe you can achieve your New Year’s intention, or it is as worthless as a New Year’s resolution. By keeping it simple and focusing on the bigger picture instead of a finite goal, you are more likely to get in touch with your feelings and desires. Remember intentions are not about failure or success, but the striving to be a better you.